Issues & Answers

Several different things can incentivize a business owner or manager to travel to a business conference, and the organizers of the 2011 C&D Recycling Forum are aiming to provide each of those incentives.

Those seeking networking opportunities will find several receptions and breaks scheduled throughout the three days of the event, which runs from Sunday, Sept. 25, to Tuesday, Sept. 27.

Attendees wishing to visit with current or potential equipment suppliers will have the chance to talk with representatives from more than 20 such companies all located in one room.

And for those who wish to stay in touch with industry issues and new work practices, the C&D Recycling Forum’s program will provide insight into several key topics.

PLENTY TO HEAR
Programming for the 2011 C&D Recycling Forum starts Sunday afternoon, Sept. 25, and concludes by noon on Tuesday, Sept. 27.

During this three-day span, 11 different sessions will provide a wide variety of information pertaining to management and operations issues of recyclers and contractors.

The program, as it was last year, is being coordinated with input from Construction & Demolition Recycling magazine, the National Demolition Association and the consulting firm Gershman, Brickner and Bratton Inc. (GBB).

The titles and brief descriptions of the sessions are:

• State of the Industry Summary: Construction & Demolition Recycling magazine offers insights garnered from its 2011 State of the Industry research.
• The Diversion Decision: Factors that prompt haulers and contractors to decide whether to recycle or landfill material—and how those factors are changing—are discussed by a panel that will include Jim Halter of Waste Management, Patti Hamilton of Sun Recycling and moderator Bob Brickner of GBB.
• The Economy’s Twists and Turns: Andy Bauer, an economist with the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond (Va.), reviews recent economic data and provides a near-term forecast.
• A World of Change: Changes to the LEED rating system, flow control legislation and legal challenges and the introduction of a mixed C&D facility certification program are discussed in this session.
• Thriving in a Quiet Zone: Demolition contractors and recyclers share what they’ve learned from working in campus and high-profile settings.
• Rules and Regulations: Long-time industry consultant Brickner leads this session on new and pending regulations affecting the way recyclers and contractors operate.
• Optimal Crushing Options: Presenters tap into case studies and on-the-job experience to offer helpful, bottom-line advice on concrete and asphalt crushing.
• Recycling a Larger Mix: In this session, panelists offer a look at strategies to diversify their materials mix and tap into emerging end markets.
• Excelling at Recycling: Presenters (including National Demolition Association 2010 Environment Award winners) offer an overview of successful projects and strategies.
• Power Surge or Brownout?: Panelists at this session provide updates on current and potential tie-ins between the alternative energy market and C&D scrap residues.
• Dollars and Sense: Two case studies of prominent projects, one demolition and one construction, that profited by obtaining lofty recycling targets are offered.
  

The event’s organizers say they are attempting to offer programming that can meet and exceed the quality level established at the 2010 event, which received positive feedback from attendees.

Additional information on the C&D Reycling Forum’s educational program can be found at the conference website, http://forum.cdrecycler.com.

ROOM FOR CONVERSATION
Attendees of the 2010 C&D Recycling Forum also provided positive feedback regarding the networking opportunities they enjoyed at that event.

As it was last year, this year’s event includes two evening receptions, two breakfasts, one lunch and several additional breaks when attendees can converse with each other and the vendors with booths in the exhibit hall.
After last year’s event, Jason Haus of Dem-Con Cos., Shakopee, Minn., said of the 2010 C&DR Forum, “Really what the goals of these shows are is to learn a little bit, bounce ideas off of other people and go home with some new fresh thoughts, and I think people are getting that here.”

Observations from Haus and other attendees of the 2010 C&D Recycling Forum can be seen and heard in a video report available at http://forum.cdrecycler.com.

The setting for this year’s conversations has changed from last year, moving away from downtown Baltimore out to the Turf Valley Conference Center and Resort in outlying Ellicott City, Md.

Turf Valley bills itself as “Maryland’s premier attraction,” pointing to its “1,000 acres of lush greenery and amazing views.”
In addition to a convenient location between Baltimore and Washington, D.C., Turf Valley has 27 meeting rooms and versatile floor plans that can accommodate up to 800 people.

2011 C&D Recycling Forum attendees are encouraged to make their reservations early if they wish to stay in one of Turf Valley’s 171 guest rooms or one of the 26 extended-stay villas.

Forum attendees who may wish to work some recreation into their schedules while at Turf Valley will have access to two on-site 18-hole championship golf courses. (A description of the courses can be found at www.turfvalley.com/ellicott-city-golf.php.)

Non-golfers with free time can instead choose to visit the resort’s spa or sauna, use one of three tennis courts, swim in either the indoor or outdoor swimming pool or use Turf Valley’s fitness center while at the resort.
Readers seeking additional information on the 2011 C&D Recycling Forum or wishing to register can call 800-456-0707 or visit https://registration.gie.net/events/cd-recycling-forum.